Camp Aliceville
by Rudolf Loewe
Summary: Based on the lives of the German P.O.W.s in one of the largest camps on United States soil. Follow the life of Ludwig, a captured officer of the Afrikakorps, and Alfred, the kind but annoyingly talkitive guard, as they face a secrets and violence within.
1. Edible Propaganda

**AN: **_The following is based on a true place, a true event, and a real period in time. Be aware, however, that not all of this is completely accurate, and for no reason should you assume that all of the below is truth. Enjoy._

Ludwig lifted his head as soon as word began to pass around the ship that they were in America. Some of his fellow Germans made their way towards the windows to see if the rumors were true. Ludwig, already sitting by one of the few round windows in the ship's hull, turned his head to face the light of day. The rumors were not true; in plain sight, he saw the New York skyline, and standing proud in front of him, the Statue of Liberty, as perfect as the day it had been given to America by the French. Some shouting began to surface from one man nearby. _"No! This must be some sort of trick!"_ the man insisted. Ludwig sighed softly. This was one of the true believers of the word of their leader's endless propaganda. He stood up and said, _"Be quiet. There stands the statue and city, untouched by our bombs. This is no trick, soldier; New York was never bombed." _He sat down as soon as the words sunk in amongst those who also doubted what they saw. He rolled his eyes, not quite understanding how a man could be so stubborn.

So they were in America. Here it was told they would be starved, and they would die on these grounds. They were taken from the ship and boarded onto a train. Ludwig leaned against the wall of the train and looked around at his fellow men. The Americans called them Nazi Supermen, but Ludwig knew better. All of them, including himself, were beaten and worn; some were young, some were old, but all longed for rest and a good meal. The train lurched forward slightly as the wheels underneath began to turn. He sat down and crossed his arms. Ludwig closed his eyes and grumbled, "_Someone wake me when we get to the camp."_

Alfred Jones laughed to himself as the women made a bee-line to the train station, all searching for a good seat on the lumber piles to get a good, hard look at the thousand of Germans that would be coming to the new prisoner-of-war camp built in their town. It was kind of funny to him how badly the citizens wanted to see the first shipment of their new "fenced in guests", but as it was such a small town, it was understandable. This was Aliceville, after all. Everyone had to know someone somehow in a small rural town like this one.

Alfred himself was not interested. He _had_ to be there, he was going to get to see the Germans regardless if he had a good seat or anything. He had taken a job as a guard for the camp, even though his boss had strictly forbidden him to get so close to the Germans. All it took was a few days of endless persuasion, begging, getting to the right people, and just a hint of luck and he was assigned to Aliceville. He was sure his boss hated him so bad at the moment, but he could care less. He had to get involved in this war in some form or another.

A whistle sounded in the distance. The train was close. Alfred made his way to the station with the other officers and guards to welcome the prisoners. He flashed a smile and a wave to the young ladies on the lumber pile, and they all giggled in response. One of the higher ranking officers patted Alfred forcefully on the back and said, "Stop goofing off, Jones, we've got to get everyone to the camp and processed without trouble."

"Sorry, sir," Alfred said, looking away to roll his eyes indifferently. The ladies caught this and giggled again. He liked being the center of attention, getting in trouble didn't matter much.

The train rolled to a stop and the P.O.W.s were unloaded. The way the Germans all stood, the way they looked, was a bit of a shock. Were these not the Afrikakorps, one of the most elite groups of the German army? All of these men were broken, dirty, and tired, not anything like the strong warriors the town had been expecting. Alfred walked along the side of the group as they were led by foot to the camp. Most stayed silent and did not look at anything but the floor or the road ahead, but he did hear some muttering to each other. It was all in German, though, so he couldn't understand any of it. Maybe it would've been a good idea to learn a second language…

As they processed the P.O.W.s, checking paperwork and getting medical attention where it was needed, Alfred stood casually by the entrance to the camp, muttering meaningless words of welcome. This was a camp for war prisoners, specifically Germans. It wasn't meant to be fun and games and happy and whatnot, just a place to hold them in a humane manner until this war was over and they could all be sent home. "Hey, welcome to Camp Aliceville," he muttered. This was going to be boring. Why did he take this job again? Oh yeah, because he wanted it. Irony.

As soon as the troops were processed and taken care of, they were released into the mess hall and given food. They all seemed shocked to be given meat and vegetables, bread, water, salt and pepper… It was just a small meal, to Alfred. Why had it shocked them so much? As he walked around the mess hall, one of the P.O.W.s lifted his hand. "Excuse me."

Alfred turned and tilted his head. "Hm? What do you want?" he asked the blonde man.

"Vaht is tis?" the man asked, holding up a jar that had been on the table.

Alfred laughed, "That's peanut butter! You can put it on bread and eat it." The German was slightly confused, but after a long delay as he tried to understand what Alfred had said, he smeared it on the bread and ate it cautiously. He smiled and passed the jar to his comrades, who also cautiously tried the peanut butter. This action spread like wildfire. "What, you guys don't have peanut butter?" Alfred asked.

The blonde turned, and after a delay, said, "Nein."

That much Alfred could understand. "What's your name?" he asked the blonde.

Another delay. "Ludwig."

"I'm Alfred F. Jo-"

"Jones! Stop harassing the prisoners!" one of the commanding officers shouted from the distance.

Alfred sighed and said to Ludwig, "Whatever, I probably shouldn't be speakin' to Nazis anyway. Enjoy the meal." As Alfred walked away, Ludwig growled below his breath, "Ich bin Nazi nicht…." He continued his meal, wondering why the meal was so… normal? This was a camp for prisoners, not a "fine" dining facility. He couldn't help but wonder if this was some form of propaganda. Apparently the others thought so too, because the man to his left whispered, _"What is this? Edible propaganda? I won't stand for this."_

"_I don't know, but that's how it seems… they won't break us down that easily. Now finish your meal, this may be our last. You know what they say – American camps mean starvation," _the man to Ludwig's right replied.

Ludwig stayed silent and replied to neither. He ate his meal without another sound. Once the P.O.W.s had all finished eating every speck of meat, bread, and peanut butter and had emptied every salt shaker, they were rounded up and led to their barracks. As Ludwig stepped into the building, he caught a soldier waving to him in the corner of his eye. Alfred. Ludwig rolled his eyes and closed the door behind him, ignoring the rather annoying soldier in preference for a good sleep in one of the fifty beds within the barrack.


	2. Fraternizing With The Enemy

**AN: **_The following is based on a true place, a true event, and a real period in time. Be aware, however, that not all of this is completely accurate, and for no reason should you assume that all of the below is truth. PS: I fail at writing German accents (but I won't stop trying because it's fun~). Forgive me, and if you're German, don't kill me! XD_

Ludwig woke up early in the morning with a feeling he had not been accustomed to having in a long time. He had actually had a good night's sleep. He stretched his arms and looked around as most of the others were waking or already awake. What was with these Americans, anyway? They had given all of them beds that were actually pretty good. They were on the small side, of course, but satisfactory mattresses and bed sheets made for a good rest. And no bunk beds, either. All of them were just normal, and laid out on a row. It was definitely strange, as Ludwig was well aware of the camps that P.O.W.s (and some not-so-P.O.W.s) in Germany were given. He got out of bed and looked to the side. Three clean sets of clothes were laid out for him; work clothes, casual clothes, and pajamas. The others in his barrack had the same laid out for them. Ludwig frowned and ran his fingers through his messy blonde hair. _This has got to be some form of propaganda. The food, the beds, the clothes… They want us on their side, to abandon Deutschland or something,_ he thought. He knew that the others were thinking the same, especially after what had been said yesterday at the meal.

Just as he had begun to brush and slick his hair back, the door to the barrack opened. "Rise and shine boys, you've got a long day ahead of you!" laughed an annoying voice. Ludwig turned to see Alfred. "Gott vertdammt," Ludwig muttered.

"Alright, you guys are gonna be workin' on the farms around here. Go ahead and get your work clothes on and get on out, you've got lots to do and I'm sure you want most of it done by supper!" Alfred said, the tone of voice revealing he was only jokingly being rude, but most of the soldiers in the bunk took slight offense still. Ludwig quickly put on his work clothes and made his way to the door. Alfred put his hand out and stopped him from leaving, however. Ludwig groaned a little and growled, "Vaht now, Alfred?"

Alfred looked to some papers he had in his hand. "You said your name is Ludwig, right?"

Slight delay. "Ja."

"Are you…" He flipped through the papers until he found the one he was looking for. "Ludwig By-el…. By-el-sh-mhi-dat?"

Ludwig put his hand to his face and sighed. "Bielschmidt. Ja, vhy?"

"It says you were of an officer rank or higher here. You can refuse to work if you want," Alfred said as he lowered the papers. Ludwig was caught by surprise. This was certainly strange. Since when were they allowed to refuse to work? This was a P.O.W. camp, not a summer camp. "Nein, danke. Ich would… like to vork vith mein comrades," he replied, lifting his head slightly.

"Alright then, your choice. A good one though," Alfred said with a slight nod. He lifted a hand to adjust his glasses, and stepped aside for Ludwig to proceed outside. Alfred added, "Might wanna work on the English just a bit while you're here, though." Ludwig scowled and left the building, but Alfred was close behind. "What? What'd I say?"

Ludwig didn't turn to look back at Alfred. "You are… Vaht is de vord… Annoying?"

"Aw come on, just tryin' to be a bit nice. I'm probably the only one around here who is… and I was assigned to wake your bunker for work each morning, so you might as well get used to it," Alfred said, crossing his arms like a stubborn teenager. He muttered under his breath, "Damn Nazis."

Ludwig turned quickly. "Vaht did you call me?" he growled quietly, only for Alfred to hear.

"What now? Aren't you guys all-"

"Not all of us. Make de zame miztake to the wrong man, you von't be alive much longer," Ludwig whispered harshly. Ludwig turned away quickly and joined the rest of the P.O.W.s that were being driven from the camp and to the farms around Aliceville. Alfred stood there slightly shaken before walking over to the trucks. He muttered to himself, "I don't think I'm quite cut out for this."

It didn't take long to drive the first group of Germans to the first farm, and none had fallen out of the back of any trucks, so Alfred counted this as his first actual success since the Germans had arrived. They were unloaded and ordered to tend to the fields. The woman that owned the farm tried to help as much as she could and tell them specific jobs that needed done, but very few of the Germans knew much English. Ludwig seemed to be the only one that knew enough to respond to anything, Alfred had observed, but this was actually a good thing, as Ludwig was able to help the others when he understood what was being said. After a good hour of work, Alfred snuck away from the rest of the guards around the perimeter and approached the Germans in the field. It didn't take long to spot who he was looking for. "Hey, Ludwig!" Ludwig looked up, but as soon as he saw Alfred, he groaned loudly and went back to plucking weeds. "Don't ignore me… I just wanted to apologize."

Ludwig looked up again. "Oh?" he mumbled, either not convinced or just completely apathetic.

"Yeah. I wrong earlier, I just wanted to say that. You probably still think I'm annoying, I don't really care, but I'm really going out on a limb here to be nice to you Germans. The others might think I'm fraternizing with the enemy or something," Alfred explained. Ludwig was silent and seemed terribly confused at something, so Alfred rephrased his words to see if it helped. "Being friends with the enemy will probably get me in trouble."

Ludwig nodded now, and said, "Und dat it should, Alfred. Now be quiet und go do vaht you should do."

"Wow, you guys are cold…" Alfred grumbled. "Let me know if any of you guys need something." He turned and stomped away, rejoining the other officers as if he hadn't been gone in the first place. Ludwig couldn't help but sigh a little as he went back to work pulling weeds and making sure everything was in good shape. _He probably means well, but he's pushing my patience, _he thought.

The warm June sun beat down on them without much mercy other than a cool breeze every now and then. The work wasn't actually all that bad, as harvest season wasn't until a few months. Time passed terribly slowly, however, until the sun began to set. Then they were rounded up and put back on the trucks. Ludwig closed his eyes on the drive there, resting slightly as his peers talked. _"That lady there was very nice; she gave me a snack around noon." "Shut your trap, they're just being nice so they can get you to talk later." "They can't be trusted. We're still their prisoners here." "But she was still very nice." "Hans, do you ever shut up?" _There was laughter, and the second man to speak spoke once more, _"I see Ludwig's got a stray dog trying to befriend him, too."_

Ludwig opened one eye and looked at the speaker. _"Hm?"_

"_One of the guards is trying to get to you, isn't he?" _the dark-haired man laughed.

"_He's trying and failing," _Ludwig assured, closing his eye once more.

"_You better hope he's failing. We can't have our officer abandoning _Deutschland_, can we?"_

Ludwig groaned a little, silencing the man. They arrived at camp a while after that, and Ludwig could see the stars beginning to appear in the night sky as he made his way to the mess hall. They were the same stars he was used to seeing everywhere he went. Still, this place was different. The people were strange, as was the food. What were their motives?...

What were Alfred's motives? At first he had thought the young man was simply annoying, but then his comrades had brought up the possibility that he was trying to suck information from them.

Hell, Ludwig didn't quite know what to think anymore.

**AN: **_this is the worst thing I had ever written. I hate this chapter ._


	3. Needs More Details

**AN: **_The following is based on a true place, a true event, and a real period in time. Be aware, however, that not all of this is completely accurate, and for no reason should you assume that all of the below is truth. Also, people have told me to think of my chapters with more of a Prussia-like attitude, so I will: I AM SO GODDAMN HAPPY I'M PISSING RAINBOWS._

Alfred picked up the ringing phone with sloth-like speed. He was ready to leave the break room and head towards the guard's rest building, and he would have done so if the telephone on the far side of the room hadn't started ringing. He wiped his eyes and adjusted his glasses before muttering into the receiver, "'Ello?"

"Hello? May I speak to Alfred Jones?" a voice replied, dripping with a rich British accent that made Alfred smile a little.

"You already are - What are you callin' for, Arthur?" Alfred asked, glancing at the rest of the men in the room.

"Thought I'd never hear myself say this, but thank God it's you. I have to ask you something. It's rather serious," the Brit replied, his voice hurried like something was bothering him.

Alfred twirled the phone cord around his fingers and said, "Fire away, Artie."

"Please tell me you don't have a man named Ludwig over there," Arthur said.

"Look, Artie, you're gonna have to be more specific. We got, like, five thousand different Ludwigs here. Seriously, I could go out in the courtyard, wake everyone up, and I guarantee that nearly half of the thousand P.O.W.s here are gonna pop up and say 'Vooh zaid my nahme?' if I asked for Ludwig," Alfred said, laughing a little as he over-exaggerated his terrible version of a German Accent.

"Fine, you git. He's probably a general or something? I don't have that much information, that's the problem," Arthur explained. "Please just take this seriously; I've got too many people on my back at five in the morning for you to act stupid."

Alfred shook his head. "No, no generals or anything. A few officers here and there named Ludwig, but no one of any important ranks. What's the problem, anyway?"

"… Nothing, it'd take forever to explain if you don't already understand by now. Let me know if anything turns up, but don't worry about it until then, alright?" Arthur sighed.

Alfred rolled his eyes and replied, "Yeah yeah, I'll let you know. Oh, one last thing: could you please call me for something other than business, Artie?" CLICK! The Brit had hung up. Alfred laughed and placed the phone receiver down. He glanced over at a clock and groaned. It was midnight already? He rushed out of the building and made his way towards the guard's rest building. Maybe he'd be able to squeeze in enough sleep to make it through the next day if he went to bed now.

.

It wasn't even five minutes into breakfast and Ludwig found himself being the subject of annoying torture again, only this time it wasn't Alfred's fault. He growled angrily as his face was shoved into his food, and the culprit walked off, laughing loudly. As he brushed bits of eggs and meat out of his eyes, Alfred approached him and said, "Hey, what… Shouldn't you be using a fork, not your face?"

Ludwig sighed. "Von of your guard freunds did this," he stated calmly, the anger clear only in his eyes.

"Huh? Which one?" Alfred asked, looking around. Ludwig pointed to a bearded brunette man in a nearby group of guards who were laughing amongst themselves. Alfred sighed and mumbled, "Rhys, that ass. Sorry about that, Luddy. He always does this sort of thing, probably because, four out of five times, he's drunk off his ass."

Ludwig looked up at Alfred. "So, you gat in trouble for talking to me, and he can do vahtever he wants?"

Alfred shook his head. "It's not like that exactly… But let me know if he does anything stupid again. I'll try and do something about it," he said with a smile.

Ludwig went back to eating, not seeming to care about Alfred's offer. "Are ve vorking again today?" he asked without looking back up at the blonde with glasses.

"Yeah, if you still want you," Alfred replied.

"I'll do vaht my comrades do," Ludwig said.

Alfred nodded and said, "Still a good choice. You're a good soldier."

The last statement didn't seem to reach Ludwig's ears until the annoying guard was already walking away. Good soldier. That was a strange think for an American to say to a German P.O.W. He pushed his plate away and turned around to face Alfred, but he was gone. It wasn't long after that until they were all rushed out of the mess hall and into the courtyard, where they were then rounded up and loaded up on the trucks to be taken to the fields.

"_Ludwig, you were talking to him again. What's your deal?" _the dark-haired man next to Ludwig asked as they sat down in the back of the truck.

"_There is none, he's just being annoying and trying to befriend me like yesterday and the day before," _Ludwig sighed, running his fingers through his hair.

The man laughed, _"Ignore him then."_

"_You don't think I'm doing that already?"_

"_I don't consider it ignoring if you're talking back to him," _the man pointed out. There was a long silence. He did have a point. Ludwig wondered why he ever replied to Alfred, anyway. The young man was annoying and ignorant, but yet, Ludwig sensed some sort of kindness in him. Maybe that was why he replied when the blonde said something to him. Alfred, despite his eager attitude that made Ludwig want to blow his brains out, meant well, so Ludwig did his best to return the favor.

At the fields, Alfred did not go searching for Ludwig. He stayed back with the other guards. He was thinking about reasons Ludwig might hate him, but his train of thought was interrupted by a loud belch behind him. "Hey, Jones!"

Alfred turned to face Rhys, the bearded man from earlier. He had a bottle of beer in his hand, and his uniform shirt was not properly buttoned up, giving him a rather messy appearance that was not helped by the ungroomed beard covering half of his square face. "I don't think you should be drinking on the job, Rhys," Alfred said with a sigh.

"It's just a little bit, keeps me occupied while these Nazis run around out of our hair. Saw you talkin' to one earlier," Rhys said.

"Oh, Ludwig? He's the only one I know that speaks any English, I was just making sure there were no complaints or anything-"

"Ha, complaints? Jones, this is a P.O.W. camp. Complaints or no complaints, you're not supposed to give a damn," Rhys laughed.

"Yeah, but this place is supposed to be humane, shouldn't the people here act like it?" Alfred asked.

"As I said, you're not supposed to give a damn. They're all Nazis, here, anyway. They're the enemy," Rhys said, spitting on the ground.

Alfred sighed and looked at his feet. _Not all of them. _Rhys slapped a hand on his shoulder and chuckled, "Hey, how 'bouts you, me, and the boys go get a beer after the shift today? We don't want you forgettin' all your American buddies, Nazi-lover!"

"Don't call me that, Rhys," Alfred mumbled, shoving the bearded man's hand off his shoulder.

"Hey, man, I'm only joking. But seriously, meet me and the boys in the recreation building and we'll get some drinks later," Rhys said and rolled his eyes before returning to his post. Alfred stayed where he was and thought sadly that maybe he was the only one trying to be nice to the Germans after all.


	4. Drunk Dial

**AN: **_The following is based on a true place, a true event, and a real period in time. Be aware, however, that not all of this is completely accurate, and for no reason should you assume that all of the below is truth._

Ludwig stuck his head over the edge of the truck as Alfred hopped into the passenger seat. He sighed and turned to the Germans around. _"When do you guys think we'll win this war and get the hell out of here?" _he asked as the truck lurched forward and began to roll off towards the camp.

"_Eh, any month now, Luddy. Honestly, you don't think we'd lose this one, would ya?"_

Ludwig frowned and muttered under his breath, _"I wouldn't allow it."_

A brunette beside him nodded and patted his shoulder. _"Of course not! _Deutschland_ will forever remain superior! We'll never lose,"_ the young man assured him. His brown eyes shown with confidence, and Ludwig couldn't help but smile ever so slightly. _He's young, he knows no better._

Ludwig sat straight and put his hands behind his head. _"Klaus, just be lucky those Americans in the front seats cannot understand your words, they would beat us all for this conversation," _he said with a slight chuckle.

"_Nah, they wouldn't. All they seem capable of so far is being annoying leeches, like that blondie that likes you so much," _Klaus said. All of them, excluding Ludwig, laughed.

"_Ludwig, why would you even ask such a question in the first place?" _a dirty-blonde man asked, one brow raised with a dangerous expression that seemed to threaten the commanding officer. _"Do you by chance think there is a chance we might lose? Why would you think such a thing?"_

"_Because I've seen it before," _Ludwig replied.

**.**

Alfred got out of the truck as soon as they arrived back at the camp. He could hear the Germans talking about something, and it sounded like an argument of some sort. Then again, it was hard for him to tell. The whole language seemed harsh and angry to him. He caught Ludwig just as he leapt out of the back and asked, "Hey, what's goin' on?"

"Nothing," Ludwig mumbled.

Klaus, right behind him, was trying to stop giggling and whispered to Ludwig, _"Did I or did I not tell you they're not capable of anything else?"_

"_Klaus, shut up!"_

"What'd he say?"

"He said nothing, Alfred. Nothing at alle," Ludwig sighed.

Alfred frowned slightly. "Ya sure 'bout that? Seemed like he said something."

"_Dammit, Luddy, don't tell him a damn thing!"_

"_I'm not going to, you idiot. _Alfred, it's nothing. Klaus likes to hear himself talk."

"_HEY!"_

Alfred laughed. "Oh, I guess I can relate."

Ludwig muttered under his breath, _"Sure as hell you can."_

Alfred continued, ignoring the German's comment. "Hey, I almost forgot!" the young American said, reaching into his pockets. He took out a handful of coins and handed them to Ludwig and Klaus. "The boss decided we'd start payin' ya a dollar a day if you worked and had good behavior or whatever, that way you'd have money when you go back home after this war. Isn't that a sweet deal or what?"

Ludwig looked at the handful of coins with confusion written all over his face. Klaus dropped the coins to the ground and mumbled, _"I don't need any damn American money."_ Before Ludwig could stop him, Klaus was already on his way to the barracks.

Alfred sighed and picked up the coins. "Eh, I'm guessing he's mad at America or whatever...?" he said as he stood up.

"You would be correct," Ludwig said.

"Well, I suppose he has good reason. Lots of people hate us… But here, hold onto this for him," Alfred said, dropping the coins into the German's hand. "Give it to him if he ever wants it." Ludwig was silent for a while. For once, Alfred didn't seem annoying. He seemed to actually understand something for once, and his actions for once demonstrated the kindness he claimed to be giving them. "… Do you understand?" Alfred asked.

Ludwig quickly nodded. "Ja, ja," he replied.

"Alright. Thanks, Ludwig," Alfred said with a small smile. "You can go now. Heck, maybe the guards around here will let you guys buy something with the money you don't want to save for the trip home?" The young man adjusted his glasses and turned around to leave.

"Du bist nicht schlect," Ludwig said.

"I have no fucking clue what that means!" Alfred pointed out with a laugh, not bothering to turn around.

Ludwig laughed as well. "Take it as a compliment."

"Alright, I will!" Alfred said. Ludwig could tell simply by the tone of his voice that he was rolling his eyes with a smile on his face. The American had succeeded at last in making a friend in the camp. A friend that disliked him greatly, of course, but it still counted as a friend to him.

Alfred slowly made his way towards the guards' quarters. He was tired, he felt like taking a quick nap or something before the afternoon was done with, and he didn't want to be bothered. He'd stayed up to midnight the previous night, and he didn't want to do that again. He was quick to plop down into his bed and drift off to sleep.

He woke up again around seven in the afternoon. The sun was beginning to set, and he could hear faint laughter through the walls. He wiped off his glasses with his shirt as he exited the building and walked next door to the guards' recreational building. The laughter grew a little louder, and Alfred entered to see what was so damn funny.

The first thing that greeted him was the horribly strong smell of beer and cigar smoke. It came at him through the door in a wave and hit him without warning. He started coughing, and a hand landed on his shoulder. Alfred was met by Rhys's gaze. "Glad ya could make it, Jones!" he greeted, droplets of beer dripping from the dark brunette beard as he spoke. "Come on, we saved some just for you."

Alfred was, partially against his will, dragged into the building and placed on a couch with many other drunken guards. After the smell began to dull and his senses stopped recognizing the mixture of smoke and alcohol, he began to feel himself dragged into the merriness of the others, and within minutes he was laughing for no reason, just like the others. "Here, Jones, take this and loosen up a bit," Rhys said, passing a beer to the blonde. Alfred, without even a thought, took it and nearly inhaled the bottle. This was repeated several times until every stupid joke of comment someone told was automatically pure comic genius, even before a word was even said.

"Yo, Jones, you got any girls or anything to get back home to? You said you were from D.C.," Rhys asked, ending the statement with a large belch.

"Oh yeah! Nah, not really, but…" Jones broke out laughing. "I do have this one…. girl… that I like to pick on. Met her a while back, she's British. Hot. As. Hell."

The men started laughing. "British? How'd you meet her?"

Alfred picked up another bottle and said, "Eh, she came over to America once, left because I pissed her off or something, but it was her fault dammit. I try to talk with her every now and then on the phone, though- Oh crap I was gonna call her today."

"Well you might as well do that now, Jones, before it gets too late. Maybe you can get her back over here and we can all meet her," Rhys said with a hearty laugh. He gave Alfred a few pats on the back, forcing him up off the couch. He drunkenly staggered over towards the phone in the back of the room and picked it up. His glasses were falling down his nose, which really wasn't helping his vision, but not like he cared. He made it to the phone, and when he couldn't see the numbers on the dial, he just waited for an operator to answer. A perky woman answered, _Hello, can I help you?_

"Yeah! Get me hooked up to that hot piece of British ass across the pond!" Alfred replied, placing the bottle down on a nearby table.

_Oh, it's you, Alfred… I assume you mean Arthur Kirkland._ This had happened before.

"Well, duh!"

_Alright, just give me a second… _There was a click and a dial tone. As soon as Arthur picked up, the operator quickly said, _I am so sorry for this Arthur._ Click, the operator was gone. "Hello? Who is this?" Arthur asked.

"Hey babe! How ya doin'?" Alfred asked, twirling the coil of the telephone in his fingers.

"Aw bloody hell, who is this? Dammit, Alfred, is that you?"

"Of course babe, who else would call you?"

Arthur sighed loudly and growled, "This better be important. Any news on Ludwig?"

"Nah, of course not, babe. Did I not ask you why you never called me for anything but business?" The men behind Alfred burst out laughing at this and there were some mumbles about prositutes. "That's why I'm calling you – strictly non-business."

"You're drunk, aren't you."

"Drunk as a fish!"

"Just my luck. Alfred, put down the bloody phone and go sleep it off."

"I'd rather sleep with you." More obnoxious laughter behind Alfred.

"Just do as I say, Alfred, and get the hell off the bloody phone," Arthur said slowly, the anger practically radiating out of the phone as heat.

"…. You ruin all the fun in everything," Alfred mumbled.

"Damn you, Alfred, I'm hanging up. Call me when you're sober and have something important to say-" CLICK. Laughter broke out as Alfred put the phone back and turned around to walk back over to the couch. He nearly tripped halfway back. "I think that bitch still hates you, Jones!" Rhys laughed.

"Eh, what are you kidding? She friggin' LOVES me," Alfred laughed in reply before falling down into a world of complete darkness and silence.


	5. Most Appreciated Company

**AN: **_The following is based on a true place, a true event, and a real period in time. Be aware, however, that not all of this is completely accurate, and for no reason should you assume that all of the below is truth. Enjoy._

Ludwig got out of bed that morning with a strange feeling that something was… different. He got up and fixed his hair, slicking it back like he was so used to doing, and started to put on his work clothes. Many of the others hadn't woken up yet and were sleeping like hibernating bears. He didn't bother waking them, they needed the sleep. He glanced around the quiet room, wondering if he had woken early. No, it wasn't that. He glanced outside to see the sun was high in the sky, probably around noon. Alfred hadn't woken them up on time, they had overslept. Then it hit him. Where the hell WAS Alfred? Wasn't it about time for the annoying voice to wake them, to get them loaded on the trucks for work in the fields? He sighed and placed a hand on his head to rub his temples gently. He supposed he might as well look for the young man and see what was going on. There was no possible way that they had a day off that day. He grabbed his iron cross pendant off of the end table and put it on, hiding the symbol under the collar of his button-up shirt, and left the barrack without a sound.

The camp was lazy and slow, a small amount of soldiers walking around to keep an eye on things. The day was hot and humid, and there were very few clouds in the sky, so Ludwig and the others outside got the worst of the sun's wrath. Among the few guards and soldiers walking around, he saw no pair of eager blue eyes behind thin-framed glasses, no blonde hair with an easily recognizable cowlick. What if the young American had overslept? No, surely they also had some way of being woken just like the prisoners. Something had to be wrong.

Ludwig found that, without a large amount of guards to watch him, he could pretty much go wherever he wanted. He found himself walking deeper and deeper into the core of the camp, and he saw buildings that seemed… empty. They seemed to have a purpose, but what that purpose was had yet to be decided. He wondered if that decision was for the Germans to make.

Suddenly the buildings began to look a bit different. They seemed to have thicker walls, and most had air conditioning devices in the windows. There were more guards here and there as well, gathered in groups of between three and five, talking amongst themselves. Some would glance over at him before cautiously resuming their conversations, not entirely concerned with his being there but ready to take action. Ludwig had reached the guard's quarters.

A guard came up behind him and tapped his shoulder. "Hey, can I help you with something?" the man asked, his voice harsh to demand the reason for the German's seemingly pointless wandering. Ludwig turned to see that the man was young and rather petite, almost a boy really, and was much shorter than himself, around five inches difference at least. He had green eyes and black hair, and his face lacked any sign of intimidation around the much taller and stronger prisoner. Ludwig nodded. "Ja, you can… Ze guard of mein barrack did not come vake us. I vondered vhere er was," Ludwig said simply.

The man sighed and asked, "Is that so. Who was assigned to your barrack, then?"

Ludwig answered, "Alfred Jones."

The petite man's green eyes lit up with knowledge. "Oh… Jones. He needs today off. Just tell your Nazi buddies to rest for today," he said. "Now get on your way."

Ludwig nodded politely and mumbled with a slight resentment, "Danke shoen" as he walked away. Alfred had taken the day off? Was that even possible, as a guard? It seemed a bit strange. Ludwig wasn't sure that the annoying guard would take the day off willingly, especially if his job included talking to and annoying the living daylights out of Ludwig, so perhaps it was something important or uncontrollable.

As he passed one building, something caught his eye. Through the window, he had seen something, a man on the floor it seemed. He stopped and walked back to the window for a double take. Someone was definitely lying on the floor all right. It was Alfred. He was sprawled out like he had fallen, and his glasses were a few inches away from him, slightly bent and one of the lenses missing. The first thing that ran through Ludwig's head was that, somehow, the young and freakishly energetic young man had somehow suddenly died. With a quick glance to either side to make sure no one was around to see or stop him, Ludwig flung open the door to the building and walked over to him carefully. As he got closer, he heard a faint sound…

Snoring.

Well, at least Alfred was alive. But what the hell was he doing on the floor out cold? Ludwig grabbed him under the shoulders and dragged him over to the couch, where he carefully lifted him and laid him there. Ludwig went back and picked his glasses off of the floor and began to clean the one remaining lens with his shirt tail, occasionally looking around for the other one, assuming it was still on the floor somewhere. He sighed and began to talk to himself, _"_Alfred,_ you idiot. What did you do? It's like you're hung over or something. And your glasses are ruined, I'm sure those cost quite a bit… It seemed the other guards knew where you were… Why did they just leave you here?"_

He sat on the arm rest of the couch and dropped the glasses onto Alfred's chest, who moaned a little and slowly opened his eyes. _"Oh, great, you're awake," _Ludwig said, a frown on his face. Alfred seemed to copy the frown as he put on his glasses, only he didn't quite seem to comprehend anything he heard. The German was definitely not helping this. "Alfred, are you alright?" Ludwig asked, this time in English. Alfred still didn't seem to understand as he rubbed his eyes and moaned a little. As he put on his glasses, he finally seemed to understand, and mumbled sickly, "Y-yeah… Just hung over… What time is it...?"

"Mittag," Ludwig said, not knowing the English word for noon. He was right; somehow the American had gotten drunk (off his ass) and passed out. But still, it left the question of why he was alone on the floor. Had whoever was with him just left him, not caring for his wellbeing? Alfred pushed himself to sit up, leaning on a pillow as his head spun. "You know I don't know what the fuck that means, Ludwig…" Alfred mumbled. "Wait. Where the hell is the other lens?" He took off his glasses and began to poke his finger through the hole where the lens was supposed to be.

"I know nicht. Fell out when you fell, I guess," Ludwig replied.

Alfred began to mutter things angrily under his breath. Ludwig couldn't hear a lot of his ranting, but what he could make out sounded like "dammitex", whatever that meant. Alfred stood up and began to walk around with a drunken swagger, searching for the missing lens. Drawn to it almost like a magnet, he found it under the couch and popped it back into its rightful place in the frame of his glasses. He almost tripped over the air as he made his way back to the couch, his eyes squinted as if the sudden clarity of his surroundings was making his head hurt. He sat down and put his head in his hands. "Why did you come looking for me?" he asked.

"I thought if you didn't vahnt to annoy me dis morgen, something vahs wrong," Ludwig replied. Alfred laughed a little at this. He lifted his head and placed a hand behind his head, as if to hold it up, and said, "Well… Thanks for assuming the right thing. I appreciate it."

Ludwig nodded and placed a hand on Alfred's shoulder, only picking up a handful of words as recognizable, but getting the general idea of Alfred's thanks. Like this, the young man seemed so weak and sick, and it seemed like he either needed or simply wanted someone there to help for him for a while. If no one of his own was going to stay and help him, Ludwig figured it was now his job. "Zome party, eh?" Ludwig said, the teasing nature of the statement hidden behind the general calmness of his voice.

Alfred glanced up and smiled softly. "You could say that. Rhys and his buddies dragged me into it, really. It's hard to resist a couple of drinks after a day of work," he said. "Enough about that. Tell me something interesting, I don't know anything about you… Like what's on that chain there?"

Ludwig put a hand to his neck. The cross was still under his shirt, but the American had spotted the chain. "Es ist nothing."

"Nothing? It's a chain, you can't just wear a chain with nothing on it- Now what's on the chain?" Alfred asked, the annoying, curious, friendly spark back in his eyes as he reached for the chain, pulling the cross out from behind the collar of Ludwig's shirt. Ludwig muttered, "Iron cross," as Alfred immediately let go of the chain.

"Isn't that some Nazi thing?" Alfred asked. "I mean, I don't judge, but you probably shouldn't-"

"Es ist not a Nazi thing. Es ist a GERMAN thing," Ludwig corrected, "and I vill vear it vhen I vahnt. Mein Bruder gave it to me long ago."

"Sorry, sorry, I just thought- Look, you could get in trouble for wearing that. A lot of us think that's some sort of Nazi symbol, like that swatsawhatta thing," Alfred pointed out.

"Vell, obviously, othervise I vouldn't have to correct you," Ludwig grumbled. He slipped the iron pendant back under his shirt and took a deep breath. "You Americans are so… ignorant."

"Yeah yeah I know, I hear that all the time from foreigners and stuff; we know nothing, we're stupid, we're disrespectful, but come on, cut us some slack. We're just doing the best we can, and we're just trying to help our allies and defend our own asses in the war. Isn't that what everyone does?... Except maybe you guys, you started this damn thing," Alfred muttered, the last statement gaining him a hard slap on the back of his head. "Hey! I'm sorry!"

"… Es ist alright. Es ist partial truth. But I am serious vhen I tell you not to apply things to us as a whole. Not all of us are Nazis, not all of us agree vith the var," Ludwig explained.

"… I need to get used to thinking about that before I say things," Alfred said with a lighthearted chuckle.

"Ja, you do," Ludwig said. He couldn't help but smile. Alfred was silent for a while, but when the blonde adjusted his glasses and looked back at Ludwig, he knew he was going to speak. He braced himself for any offensive or plain annoying statements. "So… I'm assuming bruder means brother? What's your brother like?"

Ludwig, pleased with the fact that the question wasn't offensive or annoying, replied, "Gilbert ist mein elder Bruder. He ist obnoxious as vell, but only in public or around his freunds. Around das Haus, he ist rather calm. Strange man, really."

Alfred laughed, "You seem to attract the annoying people to you like flies to fruit, don't ya? Is he fighting in the war?"

"Nein. They won't let him."

"What? Why?"

"He von't follow orders. Too independent."

Alfred smiled. "Sounds like my kind of guy. Not someone I'd want to fight, of course, but seems like a fun guy to be friends with."

"I guess you could say that," Ludwig sighed.

Alfred looked at the ceiling and mumbled, "I had a brother once, too."

Ludwig looked at Alfred with a strange glance, almost saddened. The way the young man had said those words seemed almost like something tragic had happened. "Vaht happened to him…?" he asked.

"… I left him. You know what, you should be getting back to the barracks. You don't want to get caught in here – exit through the back just to be safe. Thanks a lot for keeping me company, it really helped. Well, not really, but I do appreciate it. I'll be fine again tomorrow, you go ahead and get going," Alfred said, standing up and walking a few feet away. Ludwig got the point – it was a sensitive subject. He stood up and made his way out of the building. His comrades were right; the American was getting to him. He was being befriended. That was truly dangerous. Next thing he knew, they would be sapping information from him, war plans, political secrets. Alfred didn't seem like that kind of person, but it was always possible. They always appeared innocent at first. Ludwig sighed and put one hand in his hands in his pockets as the door closed behind him. No, surely Alfred was safe. But if the others knew about the friendship that was being forged, American or German… that could cause trouble. In fact, Ludwig was certain it would.


	6. Good and Bad Ideas

**AN: **_The following is based on a true place, a true event, and a real period in time. Be aware, however, that not all of this is completely accurate, and for no reason should you assume that all of the below is truth. Enjoy. PS, school's out, so you'll see more of this. Still Alive will come out of hiatus sometime within the next three months, and a shiny, brand-new fanfic will come out sometime after Still Alive is back._

_PPS, you guys that still favorite and watch my stuff, I love you freaks._

"Alfred, stop calling me."

"I told you I was sorry!"

CLICK, the brit had hung up. Another voice was heard, feminine. "Would you like to try again, Alfred?"

"What do you think, operator?"

"…. I'll try and reconnect you to Mr. Kirkland, then."

"Thanks, babe!"

.

Ludwig arrived back at the barrack to see the group of his roommates wandering around terribly confused. One of the youngest, most likely only 17 or 18, turned his head to him and asked, _"What's going on? Is it _Suntag_ already?" _

Ludwig shook his head and replied, "Nein. Herr Jones _was just unable to get us up today, so we're being given a break for today."_

"_And they won't pay us because of his mistake, eh?" _Klaus spoke up, sitting on one of the beds in the middle of the room.

"_I thought you didn't want any American money," _Ludwig said with a hint of a smirk.

"_I'm just saying- nevermind."_ Ludwig had won that argument. "Was machen wir jetz?" (_What do we do now?)_

"_Get the hell out of here, maybe?" _the young dark-haired soldier suggested.

Ludwig sighed_. "Klaus means without getting in trouble, Hans."_

"_I don't care if we do or not-"_

"_Shut up, Klaus, you're not helping any," _Ludwig interupted.

"_Well, I personally like Hans's _Idee._ We can't just stay here forever." _Ludwig lifted his head to see the dark-haired man that had been giving him a hard time for the last few days leaving against the wall. _"Though, I can see why you'd be against the idea. That dog's got you on a leash, ironic how that works, eh?" _

"_Shut up, Wolf. I'm not on any leash. Alfred is just trying to be nice to us," _Ludwig said, sitting down on his own bed.

"_Oh? Then where were you earlier today?" _Wolf asked, his eyes narrowed and teeth bared in a strange smirk like a cat on the prowl. _"I have a feeling it had to do with that guard, Alfred or whatever you call him. Our officer's becoming soft, is he? Making friends with the enemy, are you, Bielschmidt?"_

Ludwig opened his mouth to protest, but Hans beat him to it. _"Leave him alone, he hasn't done anything wrong. And he sure is a lot smarter than the rest of us. Besides, I don't see any harm with making just a few friends here. It might just get him some sort of bonus money or something."_

Wolf's smirk faded. _"That's just because you're the same as him, you weak child."_ He stood up straight and pushed away from the wall, taking long, angry strides to the door. As he opened it, he looked over his shoulder and growled, _"Traitors. Both of you." _He slammed the door behind him as he left.

Everyone was silent for a few minutes until Ludwig stood up and stretched. _"I think we all just need to get out of this tiny building. Everyone, go get a breath of air, take a few laps around the courtyard or something if you want. Find a way to entertain yourselves."_ Everyone seemed to think this was a fabulous idea. The Germans were quick to get themselves into their casual clothes provided by the guards and make their way out the door. Ludwig stood by the door and waited for the last to leave; it was Hans. Ludwig placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder, stopping him halfway through the door. He looked up at the superior officer with questioning eyes. Ludwig said quietly, "Danke schoen." Hans understood the meaning behind the words of thanks and walked off as he replied, _"It was the least I could do for my officer. No one should be able to question you like that."_

Ludwig followed after the P.O.W.s with a forced smile. The sun was beginning to set, but they had plenty of time before the others arrived from the fields and before it was time for dinner. The sky was barely red around the horizon, anyway. Ludwig walked over to Klaus and Hans, who were talking in a small group with others. He caught little bits of their conversation as he approached: _"-a play." "Who would want to do that?" "I most certainly would!" "…Where?" "-some spare buildings here... make it a theatre…"_

"_What are you talking about?" _Ludwig asked.

"_Oh, Frederick wrote a play, and now Hans has got it drilled in his head that it would be fun to perform it…"_ Klaus explained.

Hans muttered under his breath, _"And it would…! Not like we have anything else to do."_

"_Well, we'll be sure to cast you as the _Fraulein," Klaus laughed, _"because you look like such a girl!"_

"_We could also start an orchestra!" _one of the others suggested. _"I'm sure plenty of people here played some instrument at some point in their life."_

"… _You guys are wusses," _Klaus groaned.

Ludwig laughed. "Nein, nein,_ these are actually good ideas… but where would we get instruments?"_

"… _We're getting paid! We could save up money for stuff and buy it from the guards! Rent instruments, get wood to build our own percussion stuff with, maybe we could even buy out an empty building for Frederick's theatre," _a blonde pointed out.

"_And a printing press! We could make a newsletter for the camp; put articles in it to keep people entertained," _another pointed out.

"_That would take forever," _Ludwig pointed out. He couldn't stop smiling; seeing the P.O.W.s throw out all these ideas, seeing them all happy to some degree, it made him more than happy.

"_Well, maybe it will, but if it works out, it'll be worth it. Don't you agree?" _Hans asked. Most of the small group either nodded or voiced their agreement aloud. Ludwig kept silent and didn't throw in his opinion. He let them do what they wanted; he would just sit back and watch it all unfold.

He grew bored with the conversation quickly, though, and found himself jogging around without any destination until it began to grow dark. He made his way to the mess hall for dinner, where mostly everyone was already seated. Ludwig was waved over by Klaus after he got his meal, and as he sat down, he saw Hans sitting across the table, his head low and his hand over his face. _"What's wrong, Hans…?" _Ludwig asked.

Hans lifted his head briefly and forced a smile. Ludwig caught sight of a dark purple bruise underneath the young man's eye. _"I'm fine," _he said simply.

"… _That's going to swell up terribly… who did that to you?" _Ludwig asked angrily.

"_Oh, I just fell in the courtyard, it's not a big deal," _Hans assured him, his awkward smile getting slightly wider as if it would prove a point. Klaus looked towards Ludwig and shrugged. _"He wandered off shortly after you left. He won't say anything about what happened other than 'I fell'," _Klaus said.

Ludwig sighed and began to eat. _"You're such a klutz, Hans. Be more careful," _he said. Something wasn't right. He let his mind wander as he chewed the small portion of meat. Hans couldn't have just fallen. He had to have been struck by _someone_. But who… In the corner of his eye, he could just barely see a glare from down the table. Before he could turn to see who it was, the waist of a guard's uniform blocked part of his vision. He lifted his head to see Alfred F. Jones smiling down at him. Ludwig groaned a little at the sight. "Hey, Luddy! I thought I'd drop by and let you know I was better before the day ended- Oh my god. What happened to that kid?" Alfred had noticed Hans's eye.

"He fell," Ludwig said simply.

"Ha, clumsy kid, eh? Should I get him something to put on that? I think I could try and sneak out a small piece of raw steak or some painkillers or something for the swelling…" Alfred suggested.

"Bitte," Ludwig replied.

"… Bitter? What does that mean?" Alfred asked.

"… Please?" Ludwig guessed.

"Oh! Ok. I'll see what I can do. Tell that guy to be more careful or something for me, alright?" Alfred said as he swiftly walked off. Ludwig rolled his eyes. _Already have,_ he thought as he turned back to Klaus and Hans. _"I guess you're right about earlier, Hans. He's going to get you something for your eye. I guess it really is beneficial to-"_

"_No, I wasn't right. It's a bad idea," _Hans muttered. The words seemed to be forced, but they still left Ludwig speechless. Ludwig did not talk for the rest of the meal, but now it was certain that something was terribly wrong, and he had the feeling that it would only grow and get worse.

**AN: **_And, yes, Hans is the same boy who mentioned that the lady on the farm was nice in Chapter 2, if you noticed the names are the same. Then again, I believe Hans is a terribly common name (not sure it that's 'trufax' or not), so it doesn't mean much, I guess. I like Klaus and Hans a lot, and Wolf is a nice little bad-guy of sorts, so it's official that I'm gonna keep them relevant in the story as of now, since I named the little bastards._


	7. NOTICE ON ALICEVILLE

_**NOTICE**_

[This fic is outdated and hasn't been updated in forever_. _**I am also not going to be using for my fics anymore because honestly I really hate how this site is run. **However, I know a lot of people like this story. A lot. I do too, it's really fun to write! So this is what I'm doing.

I've always wanted to rewrite this. Start off fresh, make the intro better, write longer and better chapters, make sure the characters don't seem dry. All that jazz. So I'm starting over and rewriting it, just as I always wanted. Going to make some huge adjustments, here, and it'll definitely be for the better of the story! Gonna be great.

If you wish to keep up with the new reworkings of _Camp Aliceville_, please head on over to my (somewhat empty but still existing) ARCHIVE OF OUR OWN ACCOUNT at this link here:  /users/Rudolflioness/pseuds/Rudolf%20Loewe

_Camp Aliceville _will return soon. Just not on . And many more fics will be written as well, if you like my writing! Like I have a large Homestuck fic or two in the works, I'm planning on rewriting my Fullmetal Alchemist/Amnesia: The Dark Descent crossover, _Still Alive_, since it got deleted off and I lost everything but I still love that fic to death.

Sorry for the inconvenience. My profile on will remain open until deleted by staff, so you can continue to read the old Aliceville fic in all it's awful glory if you so wish, just remain aware that it will no longer be updated here and is forever never to be finished.

With love,

Rudolf Loewe]


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